The present invention relates to the operation and management of powered vehicles which utilize batteries and engine systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a realtime management system for identifying system inefficiencies and subsystems requiring repair through the use of realtime interactive computer analysis.
The powered vehicles referred to in this application include ships, locomotives, aircraft of all types, and automotive vehicles such as cars, trucks and buses. The powered vehicles employ starter systems, battery systems, charging systems, and cooling systems for the efficient and effective operation of such vehicles. Degradation of system components of the powered vehicle result in the inability to start the vehicle. Additionally, the degradation in the system components can also cause the vehicle to run improperly or cause the operator to be unable to use the powered vehicle effectively.
Various techniques have been employed in the past to monitor particular components of the powered vehicle. Unfortunately, translation and interpretation of the results of the techniques is always left to a mechanic, or other person, to analyze the problem and make a recommendation as to repair. There is usually no monitor of the translation and interpretation carried out by the mechanic. All known monitoring systems are single purpose measuring devices. They do not compare other measurements at the same time and interact the effects of each of the components. As such, synergistic or combination effects are ignored in traditional monitoring systems. Typical monitoring systems only indicate one specific matter or suggest a general problem. Present monitoring systems do not provide a constant realtime reading continually throughout the monitoring of the components of the system.
Monitor-type systems provide only "after the fact" information. For example, if a component of the powered vehicle is degrading, a red light or warning buzzer will indicate to the operator of the vehicle that the operator should do something about the component. The monitor-type systems do not explain, in realtime, exactly what the problem is and what to do about the problem. Automobile manufacturers provide light or buzzer warnings or a lighted graphic of the area of the problem. When the trouble is diagnosed as to the specific problem, then the repair will cause the indicator light to turn off.
With regard to specific systems within an automobile, it becomes very difficult to analyze specific problems as they are occurring throughout the automobile's engine system. For example, in a vehicle air conditioner, the only indication of an air conditioner problem is when the air delivered from the air conditioner is not cooled. It is necessary to consult a mechanic to determine the problem. As another example, with the water motor cooling system, a light on the automobile dashboard will illuminate so as to inform the operator that the motor is overheating. Once again, the mechanic must be employed so as to determine the specific problem. After repairs are made, the light will no longer be illuminated. With respect to the battery system of a vehicle, the battery light provides an indication of a problem. However, a mechanic must be employed so as to locate the particular area of difficulty. A problem with battery systems can originate in the battery, the charger, the cutout, or in overloads. Many times the mechanic must continually change out parts until the specific cause of the battery problem is located. With respect to the starter system of a vehicle, the indicator light will be illuminated when the automobile will not start. A mechanic must be employed to figure out if the problem is the wiring, the starter, the solenoid, or the battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,575 issued on Jun. 27, 1989, to the present inventor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,575 describes an "Interactive Dynamic Realtime Management System". This system was configured for the purposes of sensing the degradation of system components in a powered system. The invention described in this patent utilizes a plurality of powered systems and a central management facility. Each of the powered systems includes a processor which receives inputs from realtime sensors relating to realtime variables affecting the operation of the powered system. A monitoring memory is provided for the processors to store the data related to the realtime input as well as data related to manual inputs for fixed parameters. An interactive terminal is also provided. The local processor is programmed to determine various efficiency-related parameters based upon presently measured variables as well as stored historical data relevant to the presently measured variables. The stored historical data is used to give an indication of the present relative state of the parameters of interest. The local processors are programmed to calculate the costs of presently occurring inefficiencies in order to provide the operator of each powered system with data on which to make a decision concerning the control of the power plant. In particular, the operator is provided with information as to whether or not a subsystem is operating inefficiently and the cost of the inefficient operation in units of capital expended per lapse of time. In this manner, the operator is able to make immediate decisions to change certain control parameters so as to notice an immediate increase or decrease in efficiency.
The invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,575 has particular application to the marine industry where it is used to determine certain factors as cost of hull degradation, engine performance, shallow water power levels, efficiency of rudder and steering systems, trim and ballasting underway and electrical power generation. The dynamic interactive realtime management system of powered vehicles of the present invention is based, in part, on the technology of U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,575. U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,575 is incorporated by reference herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,334,425 issued on Jun. 15, 1982 to the present inventor, provides a system for indicating the presence of fuel penalties brought on by inefficient power plant components or degradation in performance of components. The system of this patent is adapted for use in marine applications. It utilizes strategically located continuous operating sensors. The information from these sensors is sampled and analyzed to produce an output representative of the plant efficiency at the moment. The outputs include indications of fuel use per hour, fuel consumption per distance traveled, and power plant efficiency. A plurality of secondary inputs are provided so as to give indications of the plant operating pressures, temperatures, etc. When a fuel penalty is indicated, the secondary inputs are evaluated to determine any significant change in output levels, thus giving evidence as to the location of the source of the fuel penalty.
Various systems have been developed in the past for the monitoring of specific conditions affecting an automobile battery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,673,588, issued on Jun. 27, 1972 to J. A. Riff, shows an indicating circuit for use in a vehicle's electrical system. This device employs one or more indicating lamps to give a visual indication of the various operating conditions of the dynamoelectric machine so as to indicate failure of an alternator or regulator component or to indicate below normal, normal, or above normal voltage outputs therefrom. U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,813, issued on Jan. 27, 1981, to Gansert et al. describes an on-board vehicular electrical power supply system. This invention utilizes an LED which is triggered to illuminate upon triggering by one of two threshold-sensing circuits which sense undervoltage and overvoltage conditions of the battery beyond a predetermined voltage range. U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,134, issued on Feb. 16, 1982 to Balan et al. shows a fault-indicating circuit for an automobile alternator battery charging system. The fault indicating circuit utilizes a low-voltage detector circuit which provides constant DC excitation for an indicator lamp in response to low alternator output voltage and a high voltage detector circuit which provides intermittent excitation for the lamp in response to an excessively high alternator output voltage. The lamp is maintained in a de-energized state in response to the normal alternator output voltage. U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,022, issued on Jul. 27, 1982 to T. Nichol shows a warning lamp which is connected in a collector circuit of the Darlington transistor which is energized if the alternator does not produce an output or a malfunction occurs in the charging system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,931, issued on May 29, 1990 to S. W. McCuen shows a battery monitor including a voltage measuring means for measuring the voltage of the battery and a processor which is coupled to this voltage measuring means. The processor utilizes the voltage measurement to determine the presence or absence of the battery, whether the battery voltage is equal to or greater than a nominal voltage level, and whether the discharge rate of the battery is greater than a selected discharge rate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,502, issued on Jul. 3, 1990 to Ito et al. shows a fail-safe control device which detects the battery voltage, stores a standard battery voltage, and makes a comparison between the battery voltages so as to switch to an emergency mode of turning off the shift solenoids when the voltage deviates from the standard upon the comparison. U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,549, issued on Oct. 23, 1990 to T. Koike provides a warning device for an internal combustion engine which operates from the engine ignition circuit upon initial starting so as to provide self-checking of the engine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,885, issued on Feb. 5, 1991 to Irick et al. shows an auxiliary battery monitor. In this auxiliary battery monitor, the voltage differential between the primary and auxiliary sources is measured by coupling them to a voltage comparison device. A pair of voltage dividing resistor pairs provide inputs to an operational amplifier when the voltage differential is above a predetermined value.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,478, issued on Mar. 26, 1991 to Kobayashi et al. describes a diagnostic system for a motor vehicle. This diagnosis device includes a computer having a central processing unit and a memory. The memory has a plurality of programs for diagnosing an electronic control system for controlling an engine. An indicator section and a display are provided. The control unit of this diagnosis device receives input and output data of an element in the electronic control system and drives the indicator so as to indicate operating conditions of the element in accordance with the input and output data.
The '478 patent to Kobayashi et al. has various deficiencies. First, the '478 system cannot work on a travelling vehicle. The '478 system does not evaluate the battery when the vehicle is locked up and turned off, or otherwise not running. The '478 system indicates responses to individual sensory information only, not gradual changes. As such, it is not a management evaluator system. It is a diagnostic system for mechanics for the purpose of diagnosing a problem and its solution. The '478 devices require a person to operate the system. In particular, a manual keyboard is required to punch in a code in order to obtain battery voltage. After battery voltage is received, a person is required to evaluate this battery voltage. The device does not tell the driver what to do while the driver is driving. The system functions only when the vehicle is stationary. The electronics of the system do not measure battery degradation or the cause of battery problems. Without a plurality of input sensors, it is impossible to tell whether the accessories and starting loads are affecting the battery. The '478 device does not alert one as to when it is time to replace a battery. The device is not designed to determine how cold or hot temperatures affect the starting capacity of the battery. The system does not evaluate effects of battery voltage, battery temperature, and battery loads on the battery's life over time and usage. The '478 device is not designed to insert loads automatically across the battery terminals, twenty-four hours a day, every hour or so, and correlate this information with time, battery voltage, battery temperatures and current drains so as to automatically evaluate cold cranking amps.
In general, the chemical processes within a wet-cell lead-acid storage battery are extremely complex and dynamic, i.e., dependent upon many parameters which are themselves changing with time. These parameters include cell temperature, charge state of the battery, charge interval, and discharge history.
The chemical process involving a battery may be summarized as follows. When two unlike metals such as lead dioxide (the positive plate) and lead (the negative plate) are submerged in sulfuric acid, a voltage potential is developed across terminals connected to the plates.
During the discharge cycle, lead in the positive plate combines with sulfate in the sulfuric acid to form lead sulfate (which is deposited on the positive plate) with the by-products hydrogen (from the acid) and oxygen (from the positive plate) combining to produce water and thus dilute the concentration of the sulfuric acid. Consequently, the specific gravity of the acid decreases with dilution by water produced by the discharge cycle. Thus, specific gravity of the sulfuric acid can be used as a measure of the charge state of the battery. At the same time, lead of the negative plate is combined with sulfate from the sulfuric acid to produce lead sulfate on the negative plate. As the discharge process continues, more and more lead sulfate is deposited on both the positive and negative plates until they are no longer dissimilar metals. At this point no voltage potential is produced between terminals connected to the two plates. Also, as the battery discharges, the internal thevenin resistance increases from a full charge low value of 10-20 milliohms.
During the charge cycle, the reverse chemical reactions of the discharge cycle occur. The lead sulfate of both plates is split into its original form of lead and sulfate. The water is split into hydrogen (given off at the negative plate) and oxygen (given off at the positive plate). As the .sulfate leaves the plates, it combines with the hydrogen to form sulfuric acid, thus increasing the concentration of the acid. At the same time, oxygen combines with lead in the positive plate to form lead sulfate. Thus, the lead and lead sulfate concentrations of the negative and positive plates, respectively, is restored.